About BIC Disposable cigarette lighters

Recall Date: 12/19/2002

December 19, 2002Release # 03-054 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Mark Ross, (301) 504-7076 CPSC, Montrose Wholesale Candies and Sundries Inc. Announce Recall of Illegally Imported Cigarette Lighters WASHINGTON, D.C. – In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Montrose Wholesale Candies and Sundries Inc., of Chicago, Ill., is voluntarily recalling about 247,000 disposable cigarette lighters. The lighters do not have child-resistant mechanisms, as required by federal law. Young children could ignite the lighters, presenting fire and burn hazards.These “BIC” brand lighters were illegally imported into the United States by Montrose Wholesale Candies and Sundries, Inc., a Chicago importer. This recall does not involve lighters sold in the U.S. by BIC. In the United States, BIC sells only lighters with a child resistant mechanism. BIC notified CPSC of these illegally imported lighters, and CPSC investigators caught the non-child-resistant lighters for sale in several stores in the Chicago area. All disposable lighters imported and sold in the U.S. are required by law to be child-resistant.CPSC and Montrose Wholesale Candies and Sundries are not aware of any injuries involving these lighters. This recall is being conducted to prevent the possibility of injuries.The disposable cigarette lighters being recalled are oval-tube-shaped “BIC” and mini- “BIC” brand lighters. The lighters have a green, red, blue, black or yellow body and a metal top. “BIC” and “Made in France” are imprinted into the metal top of the lighter. A label on the lighter reads, “WARNING KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN.” The recalled lighters are not equipped with a metal shield over the spark wheel. The child-resistant lighters have that shield. The recalled standard size lighters have the UPC number “3 086120 600020” and the mini-lighters have the UPC number “3 086120 600051.”Convenience, gas, and grocery stores in the central U.S. sold these disposable cigarette lighters from September 2002 through December 2002 for about $1.Consumers should stop using these lighters immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 anytime. A recalled lighter without a child-resistant mechanism (top) and a lighter with a child-resistant mechanism (bottom)